A Question of Love is the earliest American TV movie to focus on the subject of lesbianism. It’s significantly better than I expected given that descriptor. Certainly it’s a more forward thinking TV movie than ones I’ve seen made than 20 years later.
A Question of Love is based on a true custody case in which a lesbian mother fought for custody of her children against their father who claimed her lifestyle was immoral. That’s pretty much what the movie is. The first act is the happy, blended family life of Linda Ray, her partner Barbara, Barbara’s daughter and Linda Ray’s son. Linda Ray’s oldest son asks her straight up if she’s a lesbian and Linda Ray responds truthfully. When the father learns of this, he sues for custody to spite Linda Ray. The rest of the movie follows the legal battle for custody.
Because it’s a TV movie from 1978, they definitely treat the subject of homosexuality with kid gloves. Linda Ray and Barbara have a very G-rated homosexual relationship. They talk about being a couple but the most physical affection they display is a handhold. They’re also both exceptionally straight-friendly homosexuals. There’s dialogue meant to assure not only Linda Ray’s son but the audience watching that theirs is a stable, committed relationship. These ladies aren’t those sex deviant homosexuals. They just want to raise their kids together, read the bible and occasionally hold hands. There’s a lot of effort put into divorcing these women from any activity that might be controversial with the single, obvious exception. Honestly, I’m fine with that. In 1978, the audience probably did need it to be this way to accept the movie and its protagonists. However, as an actual lesbian living in 2019, is this film basic to me? Absolutely.
A Question of Love is also a movie that doesn’t have characters so much as mouthpieces for moral opinions. From every character, the dialogue never gives them depth as a person. Instead, every piece of dialogue is some sort of pro or anti-gay slogan. Linda Ray and those on the pro-gay side say things like, “I think love is beautiful in every form,” or, “we’re all just people and we need to understand each other.” While the people against them rattle off standard anti-homophobic rhetoric and quote the bible sometimes. There’s no characters to be found in A Question of Love, just opinions.
But I’m okay with this movie shoehorning in such a strong moral message at the sake of any decent characterization. Because I’m in favour of said moral message. A Question of Love’s proffered point of view of homosexuality and non-traditional families is exceptionally progressive and gay-positive. It genuinely feels at least twenty years ahead if its time because of how well it not only understood issues facing homosexuals but also how it argues against these issues. The fact that the people on the anti-gay side are portrayed as wrong in such black-and-white terms and the amount of sympathy and understanding it offers to its gay leads is quite astonishing.
In some ways, it’s almost depressing that the anti-gay beliefs this movie depicts are still so current. A Question of Love avoids having over-the-top, straw-man homophobes who our protagonists battle. Instead, the legal battle is filled with people stating objections that you actually hear to this day on why gay parenting shouldn’t be allowed. Things like, boys need a strong male role model to grow up healthy and worries that these women will indoctrinate their kids into their sinful lifestyle are brought up. These are still opinions you hear to this day. It makes me sort of sad. I wish desperately this film film felt dated; that it spoke to issues facing the gay community that we see rarely in the modern day. Instead, this movie still feels depressingly relevant.
A Question of Love is perhaps lacking some actual entertainment value. The fact that it’s a TV movie meant it was never going to have an interesting directing style or any sort of budget and the screenplay lacks imagination. However, it totally has value as a finished product. The courtroom aspect of the movie is genuinely interesting. It offers a great debate on why same-sex parents should be allowed to raise children. Because this movie was made in 1978, I expected the rhetoric in this movie to be well-meaning but problematic. To my surprise, only the first part of that was true. For a movie that caters to the an assumed straight audience, A Question of Love is definitely one of my favorites. Admittedly, gay movies made for the straights is a pretty crap genre. But still, this is a very progressive little TV movie. A Question of Love is my first choice recommendation for a pro-gay movie to show your grandparents both in terms of the message it sends and the quality of the finished product.
Overall rating: 6.3/10
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